"Outback Opal Hunters" Hard On The Edge

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,400 NARRATOR: On Outback Opal Hunters... 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:11,120 CHRIS: We're bogged now. The Cheals' stellar season stalls... 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,680 Might as well come up, mate. We got a problem up here. 4 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:17,600 ..as overworked equipment 5 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,360 and poor ground fails to deliver. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,760 Hope you guys are getting some colour down there. 7 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,720 I think this will be the worse we've had this season. 8 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,160 Hey, hey, hey, hey! Look at this! 9 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Oh, oh, oh!! Here come the goosebumps. 10 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:37,360 Sofia and Isaac, The Opal Whisperers, dig too deep. 11 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:40,000 SOFIA: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Isaac. 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,800 Ah!We have no way out of here. 13 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,480 And get trapped in their open cut mine.Oh, no! 14 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,080 ROD: Look out! (THUDS) 15 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:54,760 That wasn't supposed to happen, Les. LES: No. 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,880 The broken Bushmen... 17 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,720 Sorry, mate. I just can't do much more for the moment. 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,840 ..and their aging machinery fail to fire... 19 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,320 When you're hurt, you still got to keep on going. 20 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,560 ..as they limp towards a desperate sale. 21 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,760 I'll give you two.What? No way in the world. 22 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,200 You want, you want us to starve for them till we find some more, do you? 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,480 (THEME MUSIC PLAYING) 24 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:26,074 -== [ www.OpenSubtitles.org ] ==- 25 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:42,920 ROD: Righto. Slow. 26 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,400 For Christ sake, go slow. Righto. Whoa! 27 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,880 Slow, you old goat. Keep going. 28 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,200 Slow. Whoa. 29 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,040 Just hold it there, Les. See what happened is now we've hit this. 30 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,320 Where's that bar? 31 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,440 I'll hold it. I won't let it tip. 32 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,400 This is the only hoist we got. We can't afford to break it. 33 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,360 Not working?LES: No. 34 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,440 At their Dead Dog' claim, 35 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,080 the Bushmen, Rod Manning and Les Walsh, 36 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,720 are struggling to install a homemade hoist and bucket, 37 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,720 vital for hauling dirt to the surface out of their new shaft. 38 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,440 This bar here's caught up 39 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,920 a-against the end of the, er, angle iron. 40 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,640 I've just got to lift it up. 41 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,760 That's it. Keep going. Righto. Woo! 42 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,520 There's an awful lot can go wrong with this idea. 43 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,320 Slow. 44 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,440 Righto. Keep going. 45 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,680 (METAL CREAKING) 46 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,200 Righto. Wooee! 47 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,840 The Bushmen's season has been going from bad... 48 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:09,600 Christ, look at this. 49 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,320 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 50 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,480 ..to cursed. 51 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,440 Unfortunately, just about everything's going wrong lately. 52 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,080 $90,000 dollars wasted on equipment 53 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,160 meant to deliver major opal. 54 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,240 LES: We haven't made any, 55 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,120 enough money to pay off what we owe. 56 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,200 Things are getting desperate in the season. 57 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,640 It's coming toward the end of the season 58 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,880 and, er, we're nowhere near where we need to be. 59 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,040 Four mine moves... 60 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:42,960 Put her down. Hang on. 61 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,040 ..the latest being the Ding Dong claim. 62 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,080 (THUNDER RUMBLING) 63 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,680 The elements...It's just flooding the whole mine. 64 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,600 ..and the Earth have gone against them. 65 00:03:58,200 --> 00:03:59,840 She's blocked. 66 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:01,800 With the drill bogged, 67 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,240 we can't put a hole down to move our blower 68 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,680 and we're just sucking from too far away. 69 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,000 So, yeah, we just got to go back to, er, Dead Dog. 70 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,720 At Dead Dog Gully, the Bushmen gambled 71 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,720 pegging a claim and sinking two exploratory shafts. 72 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,480 And now, they're missing two members of the crew. 73 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,520 Ty's out with a pretty serious family, er, medical problem, 74 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,320 you know, and Benny's out for a while. He bogged the drill 75 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,920 and we haven't seen him since so I think he's not game to come and see me. 76 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,360 He, er, he hurt his shoulder trying to get it out, so he's also out. 77 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,240 So, yeah, it's just back to me and the old bloke, you know. 78 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,240 Whoa! 79 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,920 At Dead Dog, the shaft they're setting up to mine 80 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,640 needs to be widened or belled out at the bottom, 81 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,600 so they have room to work. 82 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,120 (GROANS) 83 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,880 (COUGHS) 84 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,360 Rod got a couple of busted ribs. 85 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:18,240 (GROANS) 86 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:22,000 (EXHALES)So, he's in a bit of pain. 87 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,040 Probably ducked when I should have weaved 88 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,800 that was, er, about as much as I'll say about that. 89 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,600 When you're hurt, you still got to keep on going. 90 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,800 There's no sick days in opal mining. 91 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,400 Nothing we can do. It's just me and Les. 92 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,080 What's the, er, odds on this thing working, Les? 93 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,800 Well, you only got a chance of 50 percent. 94 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,040 I reckon, it's under 50 percent meself. 95 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,880 Righto, mate. You ready? Yeah.I'll engage her. 96 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,640 Woo-hoo! She works. Well, she works like a-- 97 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,800 You beauty!That parts all good. All good, Les. 98 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,200 Look out!(THUDS) 99 00:06:05,280 --> 00:06:07,080 Jesus Christ. 100 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:26,680 Finally stops raining. It's like, three weeks of bad weather. 101 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,840 This pit was full of water, so it's been a long wait 102 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,440 for this to finally dry out. We need to find opal. 103 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,680 Hey, are you going in there? Yeah.(THUDS) 104 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,520 Sofia.Woo.Yeah, I don't know about this, ay. 105 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,960 I might have to shovel back some of that, erm, 106 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,120 overburden up there. It's, it's all just crumbling. 107 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,240 Sofia and Isaac Andreou, The Opal Whisperers, 108 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,880 are finally back to mining on their Yowah House claim 109 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,880 after once in a generation flooding crippled the outback. 110 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,040 Colour.What have you got? 111 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,960 Colour, colour.Really? Yeah. Have a look. Ready? 112 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,040 Oh, sh- Oh, my God. 113 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:17,480 Zac.Oh, no. 114 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:20,720 Are you serious? 115 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:24,200 It's in the water. 116 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,840 We're pushing the envelope working, erm, this late into the season. 117 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,720 At this time of year, everyone else has left. It's too hot. 118 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,480 We're up around 40 degrees Celsius. 119 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:47,280 In no time at all, we're gonna be looking at 50 degrees. 120 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,720 My concern is that the weather is going to beat us 121 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,840 before we find the opal that we need. We're literally running against the clock now. 122 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,640 We're about a third to our season's target, which is $150,000. 123 00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,360 We've only got $50,000. 124 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,760 So a hundred grand, erm, 125 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,160 we need to, we need to just stay through summer 126 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,040 but it's ludicrous mining in this heat. 127 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,680 We need to get our act together. We need to find opal. 128 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:15,040 The Andreou family is steeped in opal. 129 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,880 Their parents raised their children in the industry 130 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,720 and the siblings have now taken up the mantle. 131 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,440 Isaac as an opal cutter and polisher 132 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,240 and Sofia in retail at her high-end opal store. 133 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,800 Our main motivating driving force for Isaac and I 134 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:39,920 has been to get back into the outback 135 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,000 just like our parents once upon a time 136 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,040 and to do them proud doing just as they did, 137 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,880 to really be with the land to be finding the opal 138 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,120 and to take it back to our customers. 139 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,600 That's our family legacy and we're actively 140 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:54,840 doing our very best to continue that. 141 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,200 On their Yowah House Claim, 142 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,960 Sofia and Isaac are hunting rare Yowah Nuts, 143 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,600 ironstone boulders filled with unique opal patterns 144 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,120 only found in this part of the world. 145 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,400 More and more people from all around the world 146 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:14,920 are learning about this incredible opal. 147 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,040 So the demand is the highest that it's ever been. 148 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,440 The customers are there, they're rolling in and they're ready to spend. 149 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,200 We need to find that opal so that we can raise that money 150 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:25,920 to buy the machinery that we need. 151 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,400 We've got one jackhammer and a bunch of hand tools. 152 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,400 Our ultimate goal is to own our own excavator. 153 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,400 First bit of colour of the (BLEEP). 154 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,040 It's in the trench again. The trench of all places, Sofia. 155 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:43,760 It's my fault. 156 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,040 It's hard enough to find opal. 157 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,680 We finally find some and Sofia threw it up to me. 158 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,560 It's a good throw, bad catch. 159 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,280 I've been in that trench before. I'm not going in again. 160 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,000 We'll wait for it to dry out and we'll look for it then. 161 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:03,840 OK. 162 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,520 Let's truck on. We need to find twice as much opal now. 163 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,040 (DRILLING) 164 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:13,760 I can't see any colour yet. 165 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,280 This, this corner is where we found that last patch of opal 166 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,080 and actually if you can- 167 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,040 if you have a good look at the different colours of the earth, 168 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,280 the red earth there and the clay and whatnot 169 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,320 with the silver stuff on it, you see that there. That's a slip. 170 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,040 That whole shelf is a slip 171 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,120 and that's where we found that last patch of boulder. 172 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,520 I'm worried that it's another ten foot down 173 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:45,280 before we reach the colour. 174 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,080 Because if it's ten foot down, we're not going to make it. 175 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:49,800 Not in this heat. 176 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,040 With the fuel and the money we've got, no way. 177 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,080 What do you reckon? It's not sucking, right?Na. 178 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,000 You want to go check it out? Is it something wrong up there? 179 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:24,960 Yeah, we're going to have to. Righto. 180 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,440 Our suction's down. 181 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,160 Might as well come up. I have got a problem up here. 182 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,720 What's going on?A couple of holes there in the top bend. 183 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,920 Forty kilometres outside Lightning Ridge, 184 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,920 the Cheal family are just days into working a long disused claim. 185 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,760 We got to take the plate off, er, to bring it back into town 186 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,240 so that we can fabricate a new one exactly like it. 187 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,760 With the blower, it's like a vacuum cleaner. 188 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,560 If you have a little hole at the top it adds up to a lot, 189 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,440 you know, bigger consequences in terms of suction later on. 190 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,640 It's just another breakdown, another problem, another thing to fix. 191 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,360 CHRIS: Go opal mining they said. 192 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,120 It'll be easy they said. 193 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,440 The Cheals, team leader Chris, 194 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,080 and kids, Oscar, Luca and Rory, 195 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,480 have been on an opal hot streak this season. 196 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:41,680 How's that? Different to last year isn't it? (LAUGHS) 197 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,640 You know, we need to find opal this year 198 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,480 to make up for the dismal year that we had last year. 199 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:51,040 You know, we hit our $500,000 target so, er, we've gone up to $750,000. 200 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,040 We wouldn't be doing it if we weren't chasing the massive ones. 201 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,360 One of the wettest seasons on record has forced Chris 202 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,880 to purchase a second-hand four-wheel drive truck. 203 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,440 RORY: We need it. It's wet. A bit lighter 204 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,960 and four-wheel drive so it won't get bogged as easy. 205 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,000 But the small truck, obviously we're taking less opal dirt each time. 206 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,360 Their successful Lemonade claim is now exhausted. 207 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,000 It's too dangerous to work there now. 208 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,280 Just weeks left until the end of the season, 209 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,120 the only workable mine they have is their Blower claim. 210 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,840 We did OK there last season when we were there, 211 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,080 erm, but we haven't really found a run yet. 212 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,680 (CHRIS SPEAKING) 213 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:49,400 Yeah we're, kind of, going into 214 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,360 something different which we don't really know what to expect. 215 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,280 They plan to use old gear set up over a year ago, 216 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:58,000 but hasn't run since. 217 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,200 Whatever machinery really, especially when it's a bit older 218 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,120 if you're not using it, it's probably the worst thing for it. 219 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,080 The Cheals have spent 220 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,760 over $100,000 in machinery repairs, 221 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,560 fuel, custom jewellery business and website. 222 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,760 Just trying to make it better and better and better. 223 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:20,840 Oscar's doing well with, with the website. 224 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,000 The boys have got that up and running. We're selling opal on that. 225 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,280 The next thing is now is keeping that supply up 226 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,440 and making sure we've got some stock up for, 227 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,760 enough for people to, to go on there and find something they like. 228 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,800 So what have we got? One of our rings up. Stick your hand up, Dad. 229 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:37,560 Who?Put your hand up. 230 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,080 See that.What the hell?(LAUGHING) 231 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,120 How does that work? How'd you do that? 232 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,280 Just the software I embedded into the website. So, yeah... 233 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,760 It's like augmented reality stuff. Yeah. You can put your hand up and... 234 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,000 LUCA: It's pretty cool. ..it gives a good perspective on the sizing. 235 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,160 They can basically put it on, can't they?Yeah. I think I like it. 236 00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,120 (ALL LAUGHING)Might purchase that. 237 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,760 You can buy it if you like, yeah. 238 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,400 Boy, you know, that's insane. 239 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,440 Everything we, erm, we got out here, we have to make ourselves. 240 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,760 We, you can't just go and buy it anywhere. 241 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,800 So we've just had, you know, 242 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,760 a couple of holes wear in the, the top of the blower pipe. 243 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:22,560 Dad's fabricated a new one. 244 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:28,960 Yep, perfect. 245 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:33,200 Let's get back to mining. 246 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:44,520 (LUCA SPEAKING) 247 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:50,360 See that potch up there? 248 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,200 Awesome. It's clean, too. 249 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,960 Is it trying to go purple or is that just me being blind? 250 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,760 Yeah, I can see that a bit. That's good. That's awesome. 251 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:08,720 ROD: Look out!LES: Oh!(THUDS) 252 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,520 That wasn't supposed to happen, Les.No. 253 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,720 You wouldn't want to be under that. It'd drive you straight down into the ground. 254 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,240 We'll have to do a bit of work on the brakes. 255 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,160 And, er, fit all its bearings out. 256 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,160 In Grawin, the Bushmen's 257 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,080 self-designed hoist and bucket has misfired. 258 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,680 So, we haven't used this gear for so (BLEEP) long. 259 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,080 It's old and it's had no maintenance for years. 260 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,000 We lost a miner with one of these a few years ago. 261 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,920 Come back down and caught him and killed him 262 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,880 and it was a very unfortunate thing. 263 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,200 They need to get the bucket and hoist working 264 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:54,760 to begin widening the shaft at the nine-metre deep opal level. 265 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,200 This old hoist, we built this years ago. 266 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,160 Something's gone wrong with the brake. 267 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,840 That thing there is a brake. 268 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,720 It's like, a, a pump. 269 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,080 Did you check the oil in the brake? Yeah, it's got oil. 270 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,320 The brake can be adjusted by turning the tap on the pump, 271 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,360 which restricts the oil flow running through it. 272 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,760 This creates resistance in the hoist's cable drum, 273 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,400 slowing down the bucket as it descends. 274 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,880 You got any idea at all where this (BLEEP) pump could be? 275 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,880 Oh, it's around in the h- yard somewhere. 276 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,120 Around somewhere? Well, that narrows it down. 277 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,600 We only got four-and-a-half acres of crap to look through.I know. 278 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,120 Crickey's, Les. We could look here 279 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,120 for a friggen month and not find it. Well, that's true. 280 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,480 Oh, Les. 281 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,160 ISAAC: Come on. We've got to get something here. 282 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,360 Well, it's not underneath this. 283 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,040 Maybe that pocket we found last time, maybe that was it. 284 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:13,920 Just a lucky pocket. You think we've exhausted it? There's not even trace. 285 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,160 (GROANS).Yeah. 286 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,560 Sweltering 40 degree temperatures are hitting Yowah, 287 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,600 marking the beginning of the end of the mining season. 288 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,160 Found a lot of clay which is good if you're a potter. 289 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,200 We might be wasting our time in that area. 290 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,160 We need to look for new direction. We know there's, erm, 291 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,520 there's lines coming down this side that are parallel to that one. 292 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,680 Check this out. Yes, that's a pretty good... 293 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:46,600 it's a pretty good slip.Isn't it? 294 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,320 Definite fault in the parts here. Look.There has to be. 295 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,440 And it comes from above about six foot down 296 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,360 and then it splits into two right here. 297 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:57,080 Wherever it splits or joins, that could be a place where the opal pools. 298 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,880 Do you reckon take this down?Yeah. Have a look behind it. 299 00:18:59,960 --> 00:19:03,520 Behind that and that.Yeah. Yeah.OK. I like it. Alrighty. 300 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:07,720 Ah, this particular 301 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:12,040 part of our mine is, is, erm, to a degree untouched. 302 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,280 It's actually been our, our stairway out of here until now. 303 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:20,160 As Isaac jackhammers the wall looking for traces of opal, 304 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,600 Sofia needs to shift the waste dirt 305 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:24,600 to keep the workspace clear. 306 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,320 Did you pull the plug out? Hey? No. I didn't cut it, did I? 307 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,680 No. It's all good. Just connect it again. 308 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,840 No. Jackhammer's dead.Ah. 309 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,920 I can't hear the generator. Can you? Na. Generator's conked out. 310 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,720 We'll just go up there. Should we check it? I'll go check it. 311 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:49,280 But I've cut our steps away. It might be a bit harder 312 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:51,360 to get up there but, erm, anyway. 313 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,040 This time we've got heaps of fuel, we're totally ready. 314 00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:56,840 So, he's going to go and fix it and we'll get going again. 315 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,000 Jesus. It's not as easy without-- 316 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,720 Whoa, whoa, whoa, Isaac! You all right?Look at that. 317 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,720 How the hell did that let go? Ah. 318 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:09,800 We have no way out of here. 319 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:23,440 Hey, there's a bit more up there. Look. 320 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,360 Big, big nobby up there or big bit of seam or something. 321 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,240 In their Blower claim, 322 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,800 Chris and daughter Luca, have spotted an opal seam. 323 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,440 Jet black. 324 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,840 We got some material there. All we need is the colour now. 325 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,440 Oh, hopefully it'll come through in the tail out. 326 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:51,920 If you're going to be an opal miner, 327 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,440 you got to be prepared to put money up and prospect. 328 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,400 You've only got to have a look at the year we had last year. 329 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,120 I think we had a $40,000 fuel bill and that's just the fuel bill. 330 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:02,880 We've started a website, you know. 331 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,000 We're doing custom jewellery for people. 332 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,400 But if we didn't put the hard yards in last year, 333 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,680 we wouldn't have had the year we did this year. 334 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,920 Oscar.Yo.Let's go, mate. 335 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,720 Yeah, I'm good to go. Rory will be waiting for us. 336 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,000 We want to, I want to try and get this load in. 337 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,960 Their eight-tonne truck is now full with opal bearing dirt. 338 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,640 We decided just to leave Rory at the wash plant 339 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,880 and cover all our bases basically and if there was a problem there, 340 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:33,840 he could shut it down quickly, erm, 341 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:35,800 without it turning into a major problem. 342 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,120 The Cheals need to traverse 40 kilometres 343 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,800 of boggy roads to reach the wash plant. 344 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,840 Basically want to just get this load to town. 345 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,360 If we can get through and Rory's back there, 346 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,760 we want to show him the trace that we gouged out. 347 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,280 The rain looks like it's stopped but it's pretty wet. 348 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,360 We're bogged now. 349 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,080 Na. Not in that section, Les. Keep a looking. 350 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,800 What about down here? LES: It'll be under cover somewhere. 351 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,840 Ooh-hoo! I found it.You have? 352 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:26,600 Yeah.Ooh-hoo! Good work. 353 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:28,880 I found the brake.Oh, you beauty. 354 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,200 Where was it? Up in this crap? Yeah. Hidden up under that. 355 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,160 After hours of searching, 356 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,400 the Bushmen have located a replacement 357 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,000 brake pump for their hoist. 358 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:41,720 That was a good find. That looks like it's almost new. 359 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,800 Righto. Let's get ourselves underground, mate. Come on, dogs. 360 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:48,800 Nugget? 361 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:50,840 Come on, buddy. Come here. (DOG WHINING) 362 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:53,720 Come on, Nugget, Nugget. 363 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,640 Straight under there out of the road and get cool. 364 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,560 Come on, Nugget. Hey. Come on, Nugget. 365 00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:08,960 Come on. Oh, buddy. 366 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:13,800 Get in there. Go on. Get... 367 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:16,680 Come here. That's it. That got you out, buddy. 368 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,840 Got you out, didn't it, Nugget? Hey. 369 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,120 Run to dad. Save me. Ah, ah, ah. 370 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,520 Back at the Dead Dog claim... 371 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,840 Rain's the last thing we need at the moment. 372 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:35,800 Oh. It's cold, it's wet, we're broke... 373 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:38,960 ..And miserable. 374 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,520 Yeah, bit tighter. That's it. Woo! 375 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,840 Yes! You done it, Les. You beauty. 376 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,200 Yeah.She's working, mate. 377 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:57,880 Now the hard work starts. 378 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:01,240 Nothing more to it than going down there 379 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,320 with the jackhammer and just start digging. 380 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,600 Oh. 381 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,120 Ooh. That really pulls on the old ribs. 382 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,320 There is a bit of movement here, Les. It is looking all right. 383 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,200 Yeah.I haven't found a thing yet 384 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,080 but the ground looks like it will produce.Yep. 385 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,080 Where the top of the, erm, sandstone is 386 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,720 and your clay starts, the water, sort of, pooled there 387 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,720 millions and millions and millions of years ago. It pooled there. 388 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,040 And then it found one of these fault lines. 389 00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:47,720 It travelled down the fault lines and it just sat there 390 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,520 again for millions and millions of years. 391 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,920 Then it went from a water state 392 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,920 into a jelly and then, er, hardened into opal. 393 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,560 Oh, Les. 394 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,360 Sorry, mate, I just can't do much more for the moment. 395 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,960 No, well, come up. 396 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:14,680 Just give me a minute. 397 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,720 I've got to work up the courage to climb this (BLEEP) ladder. 398 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:24,320 (GROANS) 399 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,480 What was it tied to? Did it break or? 400 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:35,080 It was tied to the strap and the strap's tied to the tree. Oh. 401 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,960 Isaac, how are we going to get out here?Ah. 402 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,200 Sofia and Isaac are trapped 403 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,800 at the bottom of their eight-metre deep, open-cut mine 404 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,840 in crippling 40 degree temperatures. 405 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,920 We can, but this is desperate because we got no water down here. 406 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,960 Both the water bottles are empty. We've taken the steps out. 407 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:56,800 You reckon you could make it up that? 408 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,080 It's not the easiest place. Maybe through here. 409 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,720 Just be ready to catch me.Just concentrate on what you're doing. 410 00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:14,400 Oh, no! 411 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,120 Get footholds. There. 412 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,520 Yeah, that's good. That's a good one.Ah. 413 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,880 (GRUNTS)You right? 414 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,480 You're nearly at the top. Just be careful of the top. 415 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:28,240 (SOFIA PANTING) 416 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,600 Yeah.Hey, listen... 417 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,880 See if you can tie a better knot this time.(LAUGHS) 418 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,120 I thought for a minute that we weren't going to get out of here, ay. 419 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,760 OK. We're all good this time. Well done, Sofia. 420 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:52,640 (MACHINE WHIRRING) 421 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,440 Power's back on. 422 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:09,920 Woo.That's it. That's it. Ironstone.Colour? 423 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,560 Definitely ironstone.No, no colour. Check that. 424 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:15,800 This looks good. There is colour in that. 425 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,880 Whoo!Yeah, that's purple. 426 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,480 All right, awesome. Well, there has to be more, right? 427 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,880 Hold on.There, there. I saw something for sure. 428 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,560 There's nothing in that.Woo-woo! 429 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:33,440 Hey!(LAUGHS)Colour. 430 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:35,760 Oh, there's heaps. We got to check all of these. 431 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:37,640 Hey, hey, hey, hey. Look at this. 432 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,880 I love colour. Oh, oh, oh. Here come the goosebumps. 433 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,920 (BOTH LAUGHING) 434 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,040 That's beautiful. Mum and dad would love this. 435 00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:50,200 Oh.This is the legacy baby. Look at this. 436 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,760 Look at the colour. I wish they were here right now. 437 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:01,440 We've bogged that truck. 438 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,920 Ah, she's a bit soft because all the rain, so. 439 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,400 Yeah, she's just gone down the back there, see. 440 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,400 It's a four-wheel drive truck. 441 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,200 Hey, kids.LUCA: Yeah? 442 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,840 You want to grab some, erm, timber, 443 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,160 whatever you can and we'll jam under that wheel. 444 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,800 The Cheals' four-wheel drive truck 445 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,200 loaded down with eight tonnes of opal bearing dirt 446 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,440 is bogged in soft sand, 447 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,880 25 kilometres from their wash plant. 448 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,080 I'll try and back out. (ENGINE WHIRRING) 449 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,280 OSCAR: Gees, he did well there. Look at that. 450 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,360 Yeah.It's soft down there, too. Yeah, very. 451 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,680 Dodged a bullet there. (LAUGHING) That was close. 452 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,840 I didn't think we were getting out of there. 453 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:04,640 With more rain forecast, 454 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,520 now the rush is on to get the opal dirt 455 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,360 into their wash plant agitator. 456 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,720 You need your agitator, digging in nobby country 457 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:14,600 because you've got to wash everything. 458 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:16,560 You don't see it all underground. 459 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,400 Tiny little stone can be worth, you know, a hundred grand. 460 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,400 Goes up in there, we mix water with it. 461 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,280 Turns into a mud and then washes the silt away 462 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:34,360 and then you're just left with your real hard tailings in there. 463 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,160 Rory's going to stay back here at the wash plant. 464 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:38,920 It's time for him to step up now 465 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,440 and be responsible for this whole setup in town. I've got faith in him. 466 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,200 Chance of all of, erm... hey! 467 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,360 We're at the next stage of the of the cutting process 468 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:07,400 which is forming the stone or making preforms, 469 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,120 also known as rubs. 470 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,440 We've blocked out so that's blocked out 471 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,240 and you can see where the colour is. 472 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:16,000 It goes right the way around. We need to face it 473 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:18,640 which means coming down, taking the rock away. 474 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,960 We expose the blue colour, the face of the stone. 475 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,480 As season end draws near, 476 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,280 Sofia and Isaac, desperate for funds, 477 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:32,320 want to transform their rough opal into finished jewellery. 478 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:37,080 We need money to find more opal. Buy big machinery. 479 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,520 It's not cheese and bikkies. Oh. 480 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,160 It's opals. There we go. A flutter of opals. 481 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,720 Oh, my God.Finished product. It's all done, drilled, 482 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:48,760 everything, exactly the way you requested. 483 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:50,520 Oh, there's so many nice ones. 484 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,240 I am officially hitting the road. 485 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:02,160 I have with me, erm, some amazing, beautiful pendant stones. 486 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:07,720 Sofia needs to take Isaac's work to her shop on the Queensland coast, 487 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,720 thirteen hundred kilometres away 488 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:14,120 to get the cut stones appraised by her jeweller, Monique. 489 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:16,040 She's got a pretty strong personality. 490 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:18,960 She's very fussy. She might, she might not like any of it. 491 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,360 And, and everything's really resting on this. 492 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,960 We are now in the Whitsundays at my beautiful shop. 493 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,360 Our store we, erm, have a really special thing that we do. 494 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:43,280 Sponsor young adults to help them to get into business. 495 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:47,120 We sponsor Monique as a jewellery artist in the store. 496 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,320 She's a lovely girl that I worked with 497 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,560 over ten years ago as her disability support worker. 498 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,320 She's a brilliant, upcoming jewellery artist 499 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,160 and she also happens to deal with disabilities 500 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,480 like cerebral palsy and autism. 501 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,640 The jewellery that I make is a lot like myself. 502 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:10,520 There's only one of it in the world and will ever be in this world. 503 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:15,800 What I love about opal is that it's inspiring, beautiful. 504 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:17,560 It is not like anything 505 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,680 that anyone has ever seen before or ever will. 506 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:31,640 So, I'll give you a moment to check it out and see how you feel. 507 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,000 I thought it would suit what you do perfectly 508 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,440 because everything that you create is so unique. 509 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:40,600 What about this one? 510 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:42,760 No, I don't like it. 511 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:45,160 You don't like this one?No. 512 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:49,040 What, you don't like the colours or, or something?No.Really? 513 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:50,920 Erm, 514 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,200 what, what about this one? It's beautiful. What do you think of this? 515 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,400 No.Not this one either?No. 516 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:02,280 I love that.You love this one?Yes. 517 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,920 Oh, I love this one. This is actually one of my favourites.Yes. 518 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,960 I love this one.OK. 519 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,240 That one.Great.And this one. 520 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:15,000 Great.And that one.Great. Great. 521 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,520 I'm very relieved to say that Monique 522 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,440 absolutely loved the opals that we brought home. 523 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,120 There was a few that she actually didn't like at all 524 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,400 and I was getting quite nervous that she was going to reject the lot, 525 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,800 erm, so really positive outcome. She loved almost all of them. 526 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,280 Monique will be working with Yowah nut opal 527 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,480 of deep blues and greens. 528 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,240 They've been cut and polished 529 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:41,960 ready to be fashioned into 25 pieces of jewellery. 530 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:47,840 These are beautiful. We're going to have some pieces 531 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:52,400 that range from anywhere between $250 to $650 each. 532 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,160 With enough customer support, we're looking at just over $11,000. 533 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,080 I just got a call from Sofia, the jeweller's happy. I nailed it. 534 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,160 You need to be able to look at that rock, 535 00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:10,440 follow the lines that nature's given ya 536 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,760 and be able to work out how to bring the best of it out. 537 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,520 It's incredible what you'll see if you really look. 538 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,520 You just have to open your eyes and opal will do that for you. 539 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:29,920 I think she just, you must have just stalled. 540 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:31,800 The revs weren't up enough, I reckon. 541 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,560 RORY: Just with the extra weight. 542 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,040 Perfect example of, erm, 543 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,120 when you get side-tracked like that. 544 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:42,840 Always got to be looking and watching. 545 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,760 Yeah, little, little bit of pressure on my shoulders. 546 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:47,560 You know, I'll be out here by myself 547 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:49,640 running all the machinery, running the agi. 548 00:34:49,720 --> 00:34:51,440 Erm, a little bit nerve wracking. 549 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:57,520 Rory, in his first shift as an agitator operator, 550 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,720 needs to ensure eight tonnes of opal bearing dirt 551 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:03,280 is washed for 24 hours. 552 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:09,320 Hey, mate. How's it going?Good. 553 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,720 She right to go?Yeah, boy. You ready to tail out?Yeah. 554 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:17,480 It's going strong. Water seems like it's coming out all right. 555 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:19,880 The Cheals are hunting nobbies, 556 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:22,200 small solid balls of opal. 557 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,800 The most valuable, rare red on a black base, 558 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,880 worth up to $49,000 a gram. 559 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,960 You know the reason this tail out's important 560 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,600 cause it's, you know, it's in a new area, a new claim. 561 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,160 CHRIS: I'm hoping that there's some material in there 562 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:43,560 and, and, and at least even an indicator to keep, keep digging there. 563 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:45,560 Fingers-crossed. 564 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,600 I have some nice, beautiful black nobbies. 565 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,040 Just no colour in them. No colour in them. 566 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:54,320 Little bit disappointing. Yeah. Bit of a shame. 567 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,040 Ah, obviously nobbies are great. 568 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,040 It's a good sign but you don't get paid unless you get colour. 569 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:04,200 I think this would be the worst we've had this season. 570 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,840 And, and times like these where you don't get anything 571 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:08,720 you appreciate how rare opal is. 572 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,400 Yeah, this is a bit of a reality check for us today, to be honest. 573 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,760 The Cheals have found potch, 574 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:19,520 low-value, predominantly colourless opal. 575 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,760 If there's any piece here that's, that's convinced me to keep going, 576 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,200 it's that piece there and that's because there's flashes of red in there 577 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,560 and, and it's sitting on that black potch 578 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:32,000 and with that sort of colour there, you definitely got to keep going. 579 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,480 Back at homebase, a glimmer of hope. 580 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,160 G'day.Hey, Mike. Hey, Danielle. How are you guys? 581 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:41,120 Good, thanks. How are you? That's good. 582 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,360 A buyer is interested in a ring 583 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,960 from the Cheals' website for $9,000. 584 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,240 I was just a bit worried without seeing it in the flesh. Is it, 585 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,520 it hasn't been Photoshopped or doctored in any way? 586 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,280 So all the photos are taken on a macro lens, 587 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,800 erm, just in nice even light, and we don't, erm, like Photoshop them 588 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,040 or edit them or enhance them, whatsoever. 589 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,600 It's for our twent- er, our twentieth wedding anniversary 590 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:08,640 and it's hard when you buy over the net. 591 00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:10,560 Especially something like that but I... 592 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:13,560 DANIELLE: So is it, um, is it black opal or? 593 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:16,000 Yeah, we found it in our Lemonade claim. 594 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,880 It's a lot of money. You're happy? Yep, yep.Yeah.Yeah. 595 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,600 All right.Oh, awesome. CHRIS: Thanks, guys.Lovely. 596 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,040 We'll package that up to you and get it sent to you as soon as possible. 597 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,720 I'm sure you'll love it. It's a beautiful piece. 598 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,800 Yeah, I'm sure you'll love it. (LAUGHING) 599 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:38,880 How's that? We just nailed that last step. 600 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,280 First jewellery sale. That's good. It's perfect. 601 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:44,320 Proud of you.Absolutely perfect. Proud of you kids. 602 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:46,280 That's the thing with the, the website, 603 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,200 even if we don't get opal for the week, 604 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:51,200 there's always backup. It's cool to see how excited they were. 605 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,320 Yeah.Like she couldn't stop smiling.Yeah. 606 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:55,040 All right, well we better go out 607 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,280 and think about trying to find some more.Yeah. 608 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,160 Oh. (EXHALES) 609 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,000 (GRUNTS) 610 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,320 How are the ribs? Feel them scraping.Yeah. 611 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:31,800 (SIGHS) Anyway.Well, just rest up. But I'll get me hat. 612 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:34,480 You just got to keep on going no matter what. 613 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:37,200 I'll still be doing stuff up here and I'm not giving up. 614 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:44,320 Got to be there somewhere. We drilled colour up when we put the hole down. 615 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,960 I don't like not being able to do something and having to get Les to do it. 616 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,320 He's done his time on jackhammers. 617 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:00,640 The ground down there does look pretty good. It looks like it could produce. 618 00:39:00,720 --> 00:39:03,440 You might go a metre and then all of a sudden it opens up 619 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,400 into this big pocket of colour. 620 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,640 You know that's what opal's like so you've just got to keep chasing it. 621 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:12,120 Oi!Hey? 622 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,440 I just seen a lump of grey potch, ooh, 623 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,520 fall so I've just got to get in here and have a look. 624 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,120 Yeah, it's pretty hard to see this stuff but, 625 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:25,560 cause it's the same colour as the dirt just about. Oh. 626 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:30,280 Well, I just found a piece of potch.Yeah? 627 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,480 Ah.Just potch or has it got colour? 628 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:35,440 No, it's got, er, colour. It's got red and blue 629 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:38,360 and a bit of green.It does?Yeah. 630 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,200 Hey, hey. You beauty, Les. It's looking good. 631 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,120 It could be worth a couple of bucks. 632 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:45,880 Just one piece? No, there's got to be more in here. 633 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:52,040 Anything else, Les?Not yet. 634 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,600 Oh! That's a bigger piece. 635 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:58,280 Must have been a pocket. 636 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,720 And the gold in it. Oh! 637 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:04,680 Hey, guess what, Les?What? 638 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:08,160 Me ribs just stopped hurting a little bit.Oh. (LAUGHS) 639 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:15,040 The Bushmen have discovered a pocket of grey-based seam opal. 640 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,600 Although thin, highly sort after 641 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:21,160 reds and golds flash across the surface. 642 00:40:21,240 --> 00:40:24,560 It's in the rough and, after Les has collected all the pieces, 643 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,000 they weigh 85 grams. 644 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:33,880 (SINGSONG) Ho-ho-ho. We found some money. 645 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,920 Ho-ho-ho. That colour is good. 646 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,320 Next stop, Australia's Got Talent for you, Les. 647 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:43,360 I know. I'll be in the talented nitwits. 648 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:48,080 Oh, hey, that's all right, Les. 649 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:49,920 No wonder you're singing old fella. 650 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,120 There's a couple of nice bits in there, mate. 651 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,480 Another sodden day in the opal fields 652 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:06,200 and the Bushmen are heading to see local buyer, Brian Gray. 653 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:10,920 Hey, mate. How are ya? Why'd you bring him for? 654 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,800 Hey. Told you to leave him at home. 655 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:14,640 We got to keep you honest, mate. 656 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:17,040 Old Les and him have got a little bit of history. 657 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:19,640 They always have a bit of a backwards and forwards. 658 00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:21,840 If you don't squeeze them, 659 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:24,200 they'll talk you down as cheap as possible 660 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:27,200 so you've got to turn the cards on them, 661 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:30,240 and hopefully make them feel guilty to give you more money. 662 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:34,720 I've been in the opal industry for, oh, 12 years, 663 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:36,440 going on 12 years, 664 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:39,680 and I sell to upmarket jewellers. 665 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:43,800 How much you looking for this thousand-dollar parcel?What? 666 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:47,520 Thousand (BLEEP) dollars?Hey. 667 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,120 We want four-and-a-half grand for it.Oh. 668 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,480 Colour bar's pretty thin though when you think about it. 669 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,280 Some, some of it and it's. It ain't thin. 670 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,520 It'll cut. Look at that. Wow, that's nice. 671 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:04,760 Overnight, Rod rubbed a few of their opals 672 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:06,880 to prove their potential. 673 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:08,960 There's another one. Look at that. 674 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:12,000 Mm.So, what are you offering? 675 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:16,800 I'll give you $2,000.You want, you want us to starve for them 676 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:18,560 till we find some more do you?Hey? 677 00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:23,400 Come on.How's, how's $2,500 then sound?No. 678 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:25,880 Between old friends. No way in the world. 679 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:30,680 I can't go any higher than thr- thr- oh, 680 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,160 I'll give you $3,200 but I, I can't, I can't go any higher. 681 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:36,120 And, and it gets better. 682 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:39,240 I'll give you 50 bucks extra 683 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:41,920 so you can go and buy a carton of beer. 684 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,480 Sounds all right, Les. That sounds bloody good to me. 685 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:47,200 Deal.Done. Thank you, fellas. 686 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,480 $3,200.Thank you. 687 00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:00,160 Plus 50.Thank you. 688 00:43:00,240 --> 00:43:02,480 Are you happy? I'm always happy. 689 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:04,360 Good, mate.Good to see you. 690 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:07,440 Les? 691 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:10,840 Oh, wee! You beauty, Les. 692 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:13,440 That's a little bit more fuel money, isn't it? 693 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:17,280 Well, it gets us out of trouble, doesn't it?Well, yeah. 694 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:19,280 Good on ya. You've saved us. 695 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,200 See not all heroes wear capes, Les. 696 00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:24,400 Yeah, I know that, mate. (LAUGHS) 697 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:26,600 I haven't got a cape. 698 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:28,400 (BOTH LAUGHING) 699 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,480 Subtitles by Deluxe 699 00:43:31,305 --> 00:44:31,570 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm